Application of coverings to packages and the like



Dec. 11, 1934. 1,984,056

APPLICATION 6F COVERINGS'TO PACKAGES AND THE LIKE 7 J. A. CLEMENS Original Filed March- 14, 1932' Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPLICATION OF COVERINGS TO PACKAGES AND THE LIKE tion of Rhode Island Application March 14, 1932, Serial No. 598,694 Renewed October 26, 1933 6 Claims. (01.91-67.61)

My present invention relates to'apparatus for facilitating the application of Coverings to packages and the like, and has particular reference '5 to dispensing apparatus for applying adhesive for securing transparent material as a covering material for article containers made of cardboard.

The use of transparent material as a transparent covering for article containers has entailed difficulty, due to the nature of the transparent material and of the material forming the containers. The transparent material is substantially impervious to fluids, and the cardboard forming an article container is quite absorbent,

" thus rendering difficult the mounting of trans parent material on the container by glue or other adhesive. This difficulty persists even when the adhesive includes chemicals or other material tending to soften and treat the transparent material surface for receiving and holding the adhesive, as the cardboard willabsorb the adhesive before the softening effect can occur.

It has been found, however, that spreading the adhesive in a very thick layer of small width will furnish a sufficient volume, despite absorption by the cardboard, to ensure successful adhering of the transparent material. This advantageous result is obtained by limiting the width of the adhesive layer, and by increasing the thickness, thus limiting absorption by the cardboard and ensuring sufficient adhesive to treat the transparent material surface and to form a binding adhesion between the article container and its covering. It is the principal object of my invention to provide an apparatus for spreading adhesive in a thick layer of small width, thus ensuring effective adhesion of materials of different liquid absorptive powers.

- The spreading of a column of adhesive requires manual control, as it is advisable to vary the dimensions of the layer or ribbon of adhesive in accordance with the characteristics of the materials to be joined. It is therefore an additional object of my invention to utilize an apparatus capable-of controlled regulation of the flow of adhesive, thus permitting desired changes in the volume of adhesive supplied.

Since the flow of adhesive is dependent on temperature conditions, the size of the flow outlet, and the viscosity of the adhesive, it has been found desirable to utilize fluid pressure for regulating the flow pressure, to vary the fluid pressure in order to better control the extent of flow and to reduce the pressure to stop the flow. Further objects of my invention are therefore to utilize fluid pressure as the medium for controlling the adhesive flow, and to change the fluid pressure in order to vary the pressure intensity and to stop the flow.

The application of adhesive, particularly in the mounting of transparent material on article containers, is ordinarily a manual operation, and the adhesive applier should therefore be portable, easily handled, of ample storage capacity, and capable of quick replenishment of the adhesive contents. It is another object of my invention to provide an inexpensive, easily manufactured, and easily handled portable adhesive container, the parts being constructed so as to facilitate operation and repair, and to permit quick replenishment of the adhesive. I With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, .the invention consists of a novel method of adhesive application and a novel apparatus for applying adhesive, as more fully described in the detailed description following and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,'and as more specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation ofthe novel adhesive holder;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section, of a modified form of holder construction;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a battle plate;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification suitable for a standard size of article container; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the air inlet shield.

Referring to the drawing, the holder or applier 10 includes a container 11, which is preferably cylindrical, and is provided with an outlet nipple 12 to which the base 13 of a fiow nozzle 14 of any suitable shape and length is detachably connected. A satisfactory connection is obtained by correspondingly threading the outer surface of the nipple and the inner surface of the nozzle base and fluid-sealing the joint therebetween by means of a packing 15 which is seated between the nozzle base and a suitable shoulder 16 or the like on the outlet nipple. The flow nozzle outlet opening may be of any desired form, but preferably is circular, and if desired may have an outlet control in the form of a ball check valve (not shown) of standard type mounted in the nozzle base.

The outer end of the container is closed by a detachable cap 17, which has its flange 18 interiorly threaded to engage corresponding ex terior threads on the end of the container, an annular recess 19 being provided in alignment with the endnf the container and housing a pack ing 20. An interior annular flange 21 is formed centrally of the cap, and is exteriorly threaded to threadedly receive a shield 22 of generally cup form, provided with perforations 23 of small size. The cap has a central bore 24 communicatingwith an air inlet nipple 25, and a tube 26 is mounted in the central bore in any suitable manner, a preferred mounting being a threaded engagement with the outlet nipple 27 of a flexible bulb 28 of standard type, which has the usual control check valve 29 at the outer end thereof. The tube 26 projects into the shield 22, as shown.

The operation of the improved adhesive holder may now be described. The cap is removed, and the container filled with glue or the like; the cap is then threaded on, and the cap packing seals the threaded connection. The bulb 29 is then intermittently compressed in the usual manner, thus forcing air into the holder and establishing a fluid pressure acting directly on the adhesive and just suflicient to produce flow of desired volume; the shield prevents back flow of adhesive, as the perforations 23 are designed to conform to the viscosity of the adhesive used.

The required air pressure is initially a few pounds above atmosphere to overcome flow inertia, and is then dropped to slightly above atmcspheric to continue the flow in a steady stream; release of the pressure on the bulb reduces the pressure and stops flow at once.

The construction is therefore simple and inexpensive; the fluid pressure used as the adhesive expelling medium is regulated to produce a desired adhesive flow through the outlet nozzle, and is easily raised to overcome initial flow resistance and to change the flow to suit the needs of the individual article containers.

Instead of providing a central air inlet, as shown in Fig. 2, a cap construction 30 such as shown in Fig. 3 may be used, an air valve 31 being mounted in the side of the cap, and preferably at the top. A nipple 32 is mounted in the cap base to receive the inlet 33 of the air bulb, and is connected to the air inlet by an external conduit 34, This type of construction is most suitable when the adhesive is very fluid, as it facilitates holding of the device in upright position at all times and thus assists in preventing back flow through the baffles and into the cap. Flow of adhesive towards the valve 31 is prevented by baffles 35, which are cut away at 36 as shown in Fig. 4, and have an opening 37 to facilitate threading into the interior threads of the cap flange 38. The baiiles 35, instead of being cut away as shown in Fig. 3 may be provided with perforations of the type disclosed in Fig. 2, or other suitable arrangements, for preventing back flow of the adhesive while permitting forward flow of pressure air. The baffles thus divide the chamber formed by the container and the cap into a fluid containing section and an air section. The cap flange is also preferably exteriorly threaded to seat into the interior threads of the container and has a shoulder 39 to receive an annular packing 40. The valve 31 is preferably of the metallic flap type, held in place by a screw or the like 41 engaging the cap body.

A somewhat different construction such as shown in Fig. 6 may be utilized whenever the size of the article container is standard. A hollow block or shell 42 of suitable size for the work is provided with a series of spaced outflow openings 43, the interior of the shell being connected to an adhesive container 44 by a connection 45. The container 44 is supplied with air under pressure by a hand bulb, or may be supplied by a manual plunger or by a connection to a compressed air tank, as desired. When a compressed air tank is utilized, the pressure of the air is reduced, preferably by means of a manually controlled reducing valve, in order to permit control and change of the flow pressure.

A further advantage of the constructions shown resides in the instant stoppage of flow as soon as the pressure is relieved; the apparatus may therefore be in constant or in intermittent use, as the flow pressure and flow stoppage is always under control.

The improved applier may be utilized for applying adhesive, or other liquid or semi-liquid material. Thus, the applier has been found particularly advantageous in mounting photographic prints, and in forming ornamental icings and the like, due to the simplicity of operation and of flow control.

While I have described specific constructional forms of the improved adhesive applier, such changes in the design of the parts, their relative size, and their arrangement may be made as is deemed most suitable for the work to be done, Within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a portable dispensing device, a container for fluid material having an outlet at one end thereof, a detachable cap at the other end thereof, said cap having an air inlet, manually operable means for supplying air under pressure to said air inlet, and baflle means in said cap for shielding said air inlet from contact with said fluid material.

2. In a portable dispensing device, a container for fluid material, an outlet nozzle at one end thereof, a detachable cap at the other end thereof, sealing means between said cap and container, said cap having an air inlet and bafiie means for shielding said air inlet from contact with the fluid material, means for supplying air under pressure through said air inlet, and means for regulating flow by increasing or reducing said air pressure.

3. In a portable dispensing device, a container for fluid material, an outletnozzle at one end thereof, a detachable cap at the other end thereof, sealing means between said cap and container, said cap having an air inlet and baflie means for shielding said air inlet from contact with the fluid material, and a manually operable air pressure bulb communicating with said air inlet.

l. In a portable dispensing device, a container for fluid material, an outlet nozzle at one end thereof, a detachable cap at the other end thereof, sealing means between said cap and container, said cap having an air inlet, means for supplying air under pressure through said air inlet, a check valve in said air inlet, baffle means for shielding said check valve from contact with the fluid material and means for regulating flow by increasing or reducing said air pressure.

5. In a portable dispensing device, a container for fluid material, an outlet nozzle at one end thereof, a detachable cap at the other end thereof, sealing means between said cap and container,

said cap having an air inlet, a check valve in said air inlet, baflie means for shielding said check valve from contact with the fluid material, and a manually operable air pressure bulb communicating with said air inlet.

6. In a portable dispensing device, a container having an outlet nozzle at one end thereof, a detachable cap for the other end of said container having an opening therethrough constituting an air inlet, sealing means between said cap and container, said container and cap providing a chamber, and baflle means in said chamber spaced from said inlet opening and dividing said chamber into a fluid containing section and an air section, said bafile means permitting flow of air from said air section into said fluid section, and restricting flow of fluid from said fluid section into said air section.

JOHN A. CLEMENS. 

